Young girl is orphaned after lawyer dad and executive mom both die in fiery PLANE CRASH: Dad recently received his pilot’s license and spent final moments trying to rescue wife

A father heroically tried to drag his wife from the burning wreckage of his plane after they crashed, leaving their daughter orphaned.

Barrett Ellis didn't get his pilot's license until weeks before his Beechcraft Sierra crashed near Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City, killing him and his wife, Megan.

The financial lawyer managed to escape the plane when it caught fire and desperately tried to free his wife, but suffered horrific burns and died in hospital.

“He had some burns… we quickly started cutting off some of his clothing to try to cool the burns as best we could. Just an unfortunate scene,” said Oklahoma City Fire Chief Scott Douglas.

Ellis' plane took off from the airport at 10:18 a.m. (CST) on Sunday and stayed in the air for only a few seconds before crashing.

The couple's friends will hold a vigil Wednesday in support of their 10-year-old daughter, who was not on board the plane.

Mrs. Ellis' parents, Rick and Annette Brown, live in nearby McCloud, OK, and regularly spend time with their granddaughter.

The family proudly posed in the red 1968 single-engine airplane as Mr. Ellis earned his license at the Route 66 Flight School on Oct. 7.

'This wasn't easy to do: hours in the cockpit, hours in the books, two exams and thirteen months of making our lives work around trips to the airport. I am incredibly grateful to my excellent instructor and my supportive wife,” he wrote.

“And wait, there's more: we have a plane. The beautiful red girl you see below is our family's new ticket to adventure.

“If you thought you were safe from the Ellis family, you better think again. We can show up at your door at any time.”

Flight logs show that Mr. Ellis completed a 25-minute flight from Wiley Post Airport on Saturday afternoon.

Husband and wife both attended the University of Oklahoma, and Mr. Ellis became a corporate attorney for the university's foundation in 2020 after a decade in financial law.

Ms. Ellis was executive director of The Sooner Nation Collective, which helped OU student-athletes manage windfalls from their endorsement deals.

Devastated friends of the couple shared memories and tributes online when they learned of their deaths.

Carrie Winford, Mrs. Ellis' high school friend, recalled how Mrs. Ellis hid during the school talent show

“Some people were judgmental and critical, but by the end of her performance they were amazed at her energy and talent,” she wrote.

'We were just acquaintances, but there was something authentic about her that made you feel like you could be yourself. She was brave, vibrant and creative, and every time I saw her she seemed to be having fun.

“I wish I had told her I admired her years ago, when I saw her fluffing her bangs at the Falls Creek camp in the 1990s.”

Sarah Kelly's favorite moment with her longtime friend was watching OU win this year's Red River Rivalry game against the University of Texas.

“Although so many memories flooded my mind as I began to grieve, the moment I keep coming back to is the pure joy and excitement we felt as we held hands and jumped into the stands screaming as the Sooners made a slam. last second touchdown,” she wrote.

“Although I miss her so much already, I will forever be grateful for her mentorship and friendship.”

Local Methodist pastor Adam Ricks was a frequent traveling companion of Mr Ellis and explained his adventurous nature

“He was always up for the next fun thing: a road trip to Mexico for a triathlon, hiking the mountains of Peru, just mountain biking around Lake Arcadia, or finding a way to have thoughtful theological conversations,” he wrote.

“He and Megan were there for me in good times and bad. They packed more into their short lives than most people put into a long life.”